


Welcome Home (but Home is not What You Expected)

by PinkGold



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Also- The Master Didn't Die In The End of e13, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Ianto Takes Care Of Him, Jack Feels, Jack Has Issues, Jack helps Ianto too, Liza was just a great friend, M/M, Meet the Family, Past Torture, Post-Episode: s02e01 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Post-Episode: s03e13 Last of the Time Lords, Time Lord Ianto Jones, ep Cyberwoman never happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-04 20:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15154898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkGold/pseuds/PinkGold
Summary: “Ianto, is there something wrong?”He sighed into his hands. It was now or never, then.“The person who was knocking… it's my father.”Jack tensed up next to him. Ianto had never spoken about his family before, and Jack just assumed they weren’t in good relations. So he did the only thing he could and set an arm around Ianto’s shoulders.“Jack, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for quite some time now. But then you left us.”me.“What is it? Is it something bad?” he hugged Ianto closer, worried.“Jack, my father, the one who’s just outside this room, you know him.”“What do you mean?”Ianto shivered with anticipation before taking a deep breath. He could do this.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to my friend (Mars_and_Moon, go check them, they are awesome) who proof read this and reassured me it's readable.  
> Really, I just wanted to make a funny fluff one-shot, but I guess that's not what this became.  
> Have fun!

Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He didn’t quite understand what it was, but it was there nonetheless. Something with a beat, rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat.

_Like drums_.

Sure… like drums, but it wasn’t quite drums either.

Wood. Was there wood? He could hear the sound of wood in the middle of all these confusing nagging and pondings.

_Yan_ …

There was a shake there too. Although the shake was visibly closer than the beatings and the wood sound. And a… voice?

“Ianto” Jack shook his partner, successfully waking him from sleep.

“Wha-” Ianto tried to say, feeling heavy sleep dizziness still blurring his head, “Jack?”

“Yeah, I’m here, Ianto” In a reassuringly manner, he took Ianto’s hand on his own and interlaced their fingers.

“That’s- that’s good” he relaxed in the touch. Last thing he needed was to wake up in his bed alone, Jack nowhere to be seen, and realizing that everything from the past day was only a very vivid dream. Jack came back, a few months later than he expected, but he still came and chose them - _him-_  over the Doctor.

Ianto still didn’t know what to make of that.

Then he heard it again. The pounding on the wood. Only, now he could recognize the sound as knocking on the front door.

“Do you want me to send them away?” Jack asked, hand making soothing patterns on Ianto’s.

“No, that’s fine. I bet is nothing important, I mean-” he glanced at his alarm clock, “it _is_ the middle of the night. Maybe the neighbour lost his keys on their way back from a party, who knows.”

“Maybe Owen got pissed drunk and came here to try and snog you” Ianto raised an eyebrow, “What? He did try that on me once.” he rolled his eyes.

“I bet it’s a sweet alien who is looking for directions to the next galaxy.”

“I bet is a mormon trying to spread the word of God in an unholy hour.”

More knocking came from down the hall and Ianto sighed.

“Ok, I’m going.” He slid out of his perfectly comfortable bed, whicing from the pain that still lingered on his ass from the mind blowing sex they had earlier that evening, and shoved some clothes on. “You go back to sleep, I will be right back.” He bent over and dropped a kiss at Jack’s brow.

Ianto was ready to send whoever it was away for bothering him when he opened the door and saw who it was.

“... Father.” he stepped back out of balance, and his counterpart took it as an invitation to come inside, “What- what are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know, just checking in” his father sighed, looking more tired than he had seen him in decades.

“I see…” he said as he watched his father sit on the sofa without much ado, “It’s nice of you to visit, father, but now it’s not the best of times. Do you think you can come back tomorrow?”

His father’s face fell the slightest.

“Is there something wrong, Ianto?”

“No,” he sat next to his father and continued quietly, “it’s just that I have someone with me right now.” he pointed to his bedroom.

“Oh” he looked shocked, a happy kind of shocked and Ianto frowned. Granted, it wasn’t always that Ianto could find himself a partner, even bring them over to his house, so he did understand why his father was reacting the way he just did. “Well, that’s nice” he coughed. “I will just use the couch and make myself comfortable.”

“What, are you intending on crashing on my sofa?”

“Would that be a problem?” his father frowned, sprawling over the sofa like a big child he was.

“Kind of, yes.”

“Oh, Ianto, just let me have this, please. You don’t even know what your father just made me go through. I really just want to make sure you are ok. And get some rest too.”

Ianto’s eyes shot to meet his father’s, face paling by the second. He glanced back at the open bedroom door quickly before turning to his father again.

“You mean father is around?”

“Yes. No. Well, sort of.” he sighed “What I mean is, I saved him from his own madness -yet again-, but right after that, he disappeared.”

“No post cards? No information of his whereabouts? Nothing?” his father shook his head, “That doesn’t sound like father at all.”

“No, I agree.” his father sighed and ran a hand through his spiked hair. “But after what he’d just done, I really don’t want to see his face right now.”

Ianto was opening his mouth to ask what was he talking about, when a shuffling sound came from the bedroom.

“Ianto?” Jack asked from inside.

“Y-yeah?” he fixed his eyes in the carpet, he didn’t dare look at his father’s face right now, out of pure embarrassment.

“What’s taking you so long?” oh no, Jack’s voice was coming closer to the door now. He acted out of instinct and shot a glance at his father, pleading him to stay put, while pacing fast to the bedroom and stopping Jack from coming outside.

“Here, come here with me for a second.” he all but grabbed Jack’s arm and dropped him on the bed, sitting next to him and hiding his face into his hands right after, steading himself.

“Ianto, is there something wrong?”

He sighed into his hands. It was now or never, then.

“The person who was knocking… it was my father.”

Jack tensed up next to him. Ianto had never spoken about his family before, and Jack just assumed they weren’t in good relations. So he did the only thing he could and set an arm around Ianto’s shoulders.

“Jack, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for some time now. But then you left us.” _me._

“What is it? Is it something bad?” he hugged Ianto closer, worried.

“Jack, my father, the one who’s just outside this room, you know him.”

“What do you mean?”

Ianto shivered with anticipation before taking a deep breath. He could do this.

“My father is the Doctor.”

Jack’s arm stiffened over his shoulders. “What?” he asked weakly.

“I’m- I’m a Time Lord, Jack.” he took his hands out of his face and fixed his eyes on Jack’s. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

“No- I mean, yes, you should have told me earlier.” he extracted his arm from Ianto’s back and ran his hand over his hair “Oh God, Ianto…”

“Yeah… I know.” he truly hoped it didn’t show on his face how wrecked he was feeling.

“But… but how?” Jack eyed him skeptically “Owen’s check ups?”

“Never had one.”

“What? There’s no way.”

“Tea boy, remember? Almost invisible.”

Jack’s mouth shut into a thin line. He searched Ianto’s body with new eyes, from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. There was no way Ianto was a Time Lord, he would have known.

“Can I?” he asked, pointing to Ianto’s chest, who in turn gave a cautious nod. He felt Jack’s hand pressing over his left heart, before slipping downwards right over his other one. “How have I… never notice it?”

Ianto shrugged. “We don’t usually pay attention to something we think it’s not there.” Jack was still observing him with a weird expression over his face. “Uh, Jack. Are you- is this going to change things between us?” his voice was barely louder than a whisper. He knew he should have said something earlier. Holding back secrets always brought negative reactions when it was out. How naive of him to think Jack wouldn’t react badly over this. Stupid, stupid Ianto-

“Of course not.” Jack said incredulously, breaking Ianto’s line of thought. “I just still don’t believe you didn’t tell me something so big.”

“Well, that goes for both of us.”

Jack snickered dryly. “You are right there, Ianto.” he sighed, sobering up fast “I just need to adjust to this new information… It might take some time.”

“Oh God, I’m glad.” he felt all his muscles relax when his head fell on Jack’s shoulder. “For a second there I thought you were going to leave me.” _again_.

Jack embraced his head protectively and kissed his hair. “I’m never leaving you, Ianto.”

They stayed in that position for a while, just relaxing and feeling each other breathing when drew back, looking into his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked with a small voice. Ianto shifted uncomfortably under him and opened his mouth to speak when Jack cut him, “The truth, please Ianto.”

 

“I guess it just had to do with my way of living.” Ianto said pensive, “I used to go from institution to institution -private or not- all around the globe collecting alien artifacts that were stolen from their respective owners, believe me when I say there’s a lot of them.” he scoffed, “The worst by far was this one rich bloke over Utah. He had infinite floors of stolen objects,” he paused, remembering the moment when they found out his true identity and proceeded to hunt him down until he was out of the States.

  
“That’s why I got into Torchwood One, so I could attentively go through their objects and stop them by being used by the wrong people, you see, I just couldn't let these humans play with devices they, for starters, didn't understand.

“It worked well, until the Battle came around. I wasn’t at the Canary Wharf on that day, I’d taken the day off to update go through everything i’ve confiscated over the month and update my journal  -hey, don’t laugh, journals are important-, but when I saw the cybermen over London, I knew Torchwood One was doomed, so I left.” what Ianto didn’t mention was the pain he felt on that day. Even if he was there purely against Torchwood One, he’d made friends, dear friends whom he lost on that day.

“When I came to Torchwood Cardiff, my main goal was to continue the same work I’ve been doing over the years, and I did, actually, but only on the first week. Since then I’ve been hiding my identity only by default.” he admitted.

Jack frowned. He had been mostly expressionless while Ianto gave him a summarised explanation, but now he looked at Ianto confused.

“What?” he asked momentarily afraid.

“I’m not judging you, that was actually incredibly heroic of you.” he cleared his throat, “I just don't get what changed.”

“What changed?”

“Your attitude. Why did you stop doing what you did?”

“Oh, right. Uh, your methods. I mean, you know much more about how to handle these artifacts than any other human I’ve been around. I guess Earth must be protected from hostile races, and if there's someone in this world who can do it, it's you. You know what you’re dealing with, plus,” Ianto drew closer to Jack’s face, “you are hot.” Jack smirked.

“Glad to know I’m hot.” Jack closed the distance between them and proceeded to kiss Ianto sweetly, “Thank you for telling me, babe.” he said, in between kisses.

A soft knock at the door startled them and Ianto pulled away reluctantly, after savoring the sensation of the kisses. “I think now I should introduce you to him.”

“Oh, right,” Jack said and a flash of uncertainty crossed his face as he looked away momentarily, “your father. The Doctor. I still can’t believe this.” Ianto raised his eyebrows inquisitive but let it slide, since his father was still knocking insistently.

“Ok, come on.” he got up from bed and made his way to the door, Jack following shyly right behind.

“Ianto, do you have any red sauce?” the Doctor asked as soon as Ianto opened the door.

“Yes, right in the cupboard by the fridge.” he answered absentmindedly, “Wait, just out of curiosity, why do you need red sauce for?”  

“Oh, yes. I’m making dinner.” the Doctor said, already into the kitchen.

“You do realise it is four in the morning, right?”

“Oh, Ianto, do you know the last time I ate? No? Neither do I. For all I know it was over an year ago. Hm, not exactly an year because that never happened, just-” he made a disgruntled sound, “time is such a complex thing, Ianto. You know how it can mess with your mind.”

Ianto hummed in agreement and looked back at Jack, who was holding on Ianto’s hand for dear life. He looked nervous, maybe he had a meeting-the-parents phobia, or something, Ianto deduced, since he already knew the Doctor and didn't make sense for him to be this nervous.

“Er, father, I want you to meet my… partner.” he hesitated. Jack had just come back, he didn’t know where they were standing for sure. But then Jack squeezed his hand, as if being able to read his mind and he calmed down a bit. “You sort of know him already…”

“Jack!” the Doctor almost choked on his own saliva with surprise when he popped his head from inside the kitchen to have a look, “I really was not expecting this, really really.”

“Me neither, Doc.” he smirked tentatively. Ianto guided them to sit on the sofa, his father following suit.

“So, I guess when you meant you had a team to look over when you left me and Martha you actually meant Ianto here.” the Doctor said, feigning nonchalance, but watching him with amused eyes, and a hint of parently protection.

Jack turned red on the spot, his hold on Ianto’s hand becoming stronger as he nodded in agreement. Something in Ianto’s chest bloomed.

“Aw, Jack, so you really did come back for me, how sweet.” he mocked. Jack only rolled his eyes, “But tell me, since we are all here, what happened over these six months?” he didn’t want them to know, but he was bursting with curiosity. His father’s travels were always an adventure he loved listening to.

“Oh, uh” Jack tensed next to him and shifted his position slightly.

“It was a mess.” the Doctor took over for him, sensing his discomfort, “We went to the end of the universe, and you won’t believe who we found there. The Master.”

“Ah, yes you said before he was involved in some kind of mess?” Ianto interjected.

“A huge mess.” Jack added.

“Yes, indeed. We had to endure an year that never existed.” his father said, voice nearing a serious tone, “But now we are here, we are fine, and the Earth is save.”

“Yeah…” Jack said absentmindedly, eyes fixed on a spot in the wall.

“And how is the TARDIS?” he asked, not taking his eyes from Jack.

“She’s fine. Only adjusting a little, hence, the six months.”

Ianto hummed. Silence stretched over them, each with their own thoughts, until Jack stood up abruptly and said he was going to bed.

“You coming?” he asked Ianto.

“In a moment, I will be right there.” he gave a reassuring smile, which Jack returned, although more vaguely.

“What happened to Jack on that year, father?” he asked soon after Jack closed the door. The Doctor sighed.

“Your father, he was captivated by Jack’s immortality,” Ianto winced, already understanding where this was going, “so he… he played with it.”

He went pale at the mere thought of it.

“Where, were was I over this year?” he couldn’t think about Jack being tortured by his father, no. Not now, not ever. His fingers itched to hold Jack’s skin and protect him from the rest of the world.

“He had sent your team over the Himalayas.” his father said, “No doubt trying to protect you.”

“Oh, how nice of him.” he said cooly. Good to know you were on the good side of a madman, he thought darkly.

“Yeah…” his father sighed. “But my boy, don’t you worry. I’m going to make him pay.” the Doctor closed the distance on the sofa and held Ianto tightly. He always felt safe on his father’s embrace, but now it was not the time for him to indulge into that safety while Jack was alone in his room.

“I should- I should go check on Jack” he said quietly.

“You go do that, and I” he stood up, “will finish my food.”

-x-

Ianto made his way quietly to the bed, tiptoeing around some of their articles of clothes and cuddling close to the lump in bed.

He was closing his eyes to sleep when he felt Jack shift so then they were face to face. Tentatively, he placed his head on Ianto’s chest, listening carefully.

“Two heartbeats. It’s really there.” Jack stated, voice overflowing tiredness.

“How are you feeling?”

Jack hid his face on Ianto’s neck and Ianto thought he would just dismiss the question, when he answered almost soundlessly.

“All is too overwhelming. The lost year, John almost killing the team and now you are a Time Lord and the Doctor, of all Time Lords is your father.” and the Master, but Ianto didn’t have the heart to add, he didn’t think he would ever have. Ianto brought Jack’s body close to his.

“Did he tell you?” Jack asked with a even smaller voice. Ianto’s heart shattered into tiny pieces as he held Jack even closer.

“He did.”

“Oh.” Jack's voice cracked involuntarely.

“Jack, look at me.” he held Jack’s face tenderly between his hands, “I will never let anything like that happen to you ever again, do you hear me?” Jack nodded, relaxing into Ianto’s care. He brought Jack’s face closer and kissed his forehead firmly, before leaving a path of kisses from his temple to his mouth, which he captured with passion, trying to express all the things unsaid into it.

A second later, Jack was kissing him back, just as passionately, hands gripping on Ianto’s back to steady himself. He opened his mouth the slightest to let Ianto’s tongue inside for a deeper kiss.

Right at that moment, Jack wasn’t the one protecting Ianto. He wasn’t the ‘big spoon’ as so he liked to call himself. He needed someone to protect him, to let him know he was not alone, and that’s what Ianto provided. He would gladly give everything he is for Jack. Jack wanted, _needed_ him, but didn’t have it on him to ask, and Ianto thought Jack never learned how to deal with his wants ever before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh!! Here is a new chapter!  
> It took a totally different turn from what i first wanted to write, but I like the end result. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Excuse my ADHD non-english native writing skills. thank  
> Enjoy!~

They were lying in bed, faces inches from each other. Ianto had woken up much earlier than Jack, since he didn’t need much sleep to go on his day.

He left the bed, careful not to wake Jack and made his way to the kitchen for some food, when, on his way down the corridor, he heard the front door closing and suddenly remembered the happenings from yesterday night. Time Lord. His father. Jack. A non-existing year. The Master -his father-.

He strode quickly towards the door, knowing full well of his father’s quirks to know that he was leaving without another word. But, to his surprise, the Doctor was just standing there, leaning against the front porch railing of Ianto’s apartment looking pensive. Without much ado, Ianto leaned next to him, admiring the sunrise on the tip of the horizon.

“So tell me,” Ianto started, breaking the silence, “what do you think of Jack?”

His father chuckle. Leave it to Ianto to light up any possible mood, “Ah, you know, I think he is a nice fellah. Too much of a flirt for me -I really don’t know how he won you over, his lines are too cliché.” Ianto rolled his eyes good intentionally and bumped his shoulders against his father’s. “I don’t know if I ever told you, but me and him… we have a past.”

“Ew, father! Don’t tell me you shagged my boyfriend!” He felt slightly sick. Knowing his father, and more importantly, Jack, that possibility wasn’t one to be discarded.

The Doctor choked on his saliva before explaining himself, “Oh my God, Ianto, no!” he coughed some more, “I mean we traveled together with Rose for quite some time. You remember Rose, right?” Ianto nodded, how could he not remember her. “Remember when the rift here in Cardiff opened in 2005? It was our doing. I think it was also Jack’s first time in Cardiff. The point is, stuff happened in one of our travels, daleks -more specifically- and we’ve got separated.”

“That’s not what he says.” Ianto turned to face his father, feeling his anger bubbling in his chest, “He told me once you left him. And he’s been looking for you since then.”

The Doctor sighed, “Ianto, that’s not it. I was regenerating. I couldn’t find time to go back for him.”

“So what? You just left him, wherever the bloody fuck you guys were? You know blaming the regeneration is a poor excuse.” he spat. How could his father do this to Jack? How infuriating this all was.

“... Maybe you are right, Ianto. Maybe I’ve treated him less than he deserves. But that’s in the past now. Just leave it.” his father sighed, looking sour.

They fell silent. The sun was already shining higher on their faces, which helped him calm his nerves a great deal.

“But you are good for each other.” his father admitted, “you seem to be very infatuated by him.”

“I- yeah.” Ianto sighed, “I really like him.” his father scoffed.

“To think only an immortal could win you over.” he joked.

“Hey, watch it. At least it’s not a mad man.” Ianto refuted, only to realise too late that the moment wasn’t right for this kind of comment. He mentally kicked himself.

“I’m going after him, you know.” his father’s pensive expression was back on, “Can’t let him on his own.”

“What are you going to do with him?” he questioned worried. Even if his father hurt people, the person he hurt the most was himself. Ianto remembered a long long time ago, when everything beared normal, or as normal as it would ever get, a time with red earth and silver trees, a time when the Master wasn’t corrupted by his madness. It pained him not being able to help his father, but at the same time, he didn’t envy the Doctor that had to do so.

“I’m going to take the drums away… somehow.” he rubbed a hand through his face. “But, well, you know, I will figure something out.”

“You always do.” he commented smiling at his father, like the proud child he was. The Doctor chuckled and hugged him lovingly.

“Well then, I should be going.” he retracted from the hug and made his way to the stairs, “Next time you see me, your father’s madness will be no longer.”

“I’m holding you to that!” he said, as he watched his father figure disappear down the stairs. Only when he heard the whooshing noise of his father’s TARDIS did he go back inside to get him and Jack some breakfast.

And there they were now, faces inches apart, bellies full from the food Ianto provided them, their plates now sitting on the floor.

“Jack, really, I can sense you want to ask me stuff, it’s almost palpable in the air.” Ianto chuckled light heartedly, running a lazy hand over Jack’s biceps, his conversation with his father earlier that morning fading into the back of him brain. Jack scoffed and hid his face on the pillow, smiling into it timidly.

“You sure you want me to ask them?”

“I don’t see why not.” He said meaningfully before adding, “But only if you let me ask some of my own as well.” Ianto let a quick peck on his cheek. Over the past six months, the thing he missed the most was their intimacy. Being this close to Jack always made him feel safe, and he hoped the feeling was mutual.

“Okay, fine by me.” Jack answered without hesitating, and Ianto was slightly taken aback. He was sure Jack would be at least uncomfortable about answering questions, but maybe Jack was ready to share some of his past with him. His hearts beated harder in his chest.

“O-okay. You can start.”

“Is Ianto your real name?” he asked all too eagerly.

“I don’t know, is Jack yours?” of course he couldn’t help being sarcastic.

“... touché.”

“Come on, ask me another one.” maybe he, too, was a little eager. He moved a little closer to Jack.

“You have a mother?”

“No, two fathers.”

“How?”

“Lots of planets have adoption.” he answered, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Jack cleared his throat, clearly feeling embarrassed by asking such a idiotic question, “Ok, ask me one, then.” Ianto’s hand that’s been stroking Jack’s arm snaked south down his skin and started making circling motions over his exposed hips. He let out a surprised hiss at the contact.

“How old are you?”

“Oh, the age thing, I thought we were over this,” Jack mocked, his lover’s hand movements made it difficult to concentrate. Almost involuntarily, Jack moved his hips closer to Ianto’s body, “uhh, I think I lost count, but somewhere between a hundred and seventy and a hundred and eighty.”

“Oh, hello there, you old fox.” Ianto said mock-flirting, before licking his lips slowly. He urged his face forward and crashed their lips together.

“Hm, if I knew you were so into old guys I would have said something earlier.” Jack grinned when they broke the kiss and exposed his neck for Ianto to suck on it, which his lover did gladly. “But tell me, how old are you, then?”

“Six hundred and ten.” Ianto said, pausing briefly his sucking at Jack’s jawline to answer, which had Jack moaning involuntarily.

“Ah, and I’m the old fox here.”

Ianto stopped his work on Jack’s neck, much to his discontentment, and propped back onto his elbows, grinning wickedly. “I’m not old for a Time Lord. You, on the other hand,” Ianto’s fingers brushed closer to his prick, and Jack had to bite on his lower lip to hold back a lewd moan. “are too old for a human.”

Jack lost his patience and grabbed Ianto by his elbow, dropping him down on the mattress before making himself comfortable over his lover’s lap.

“Let me show you what this ‘old man’ is capable of.”

-x-

“Jack, we’re gonna be late.”

On account of the actions of the night before, Jack gave everyone the morning off. He could easily control the rift activities over his bracelet, so no one needed to be on duty the entire night. Instead, everyone should report to work as soon as the afternoon started.

But they are going to be late, and it’s all Jack’s fault.

After their morning sex, Ianto insisted they took a shower, to which Jack agreed only if it was a full on bath. He knew he only got his bath because he shared with Ianto he couldn’t remember when was the last time he had one, which was true.

“If I’m being honest, I don’t even remember the last time I took a normal shower.” he said when they were both inside the bathtub, relaxing into the warm water. Jack let his entire body sink down, with only his head popping out to rest on Ianto’s chest, he felt blissfully almost dozing off.

“What? So you just stayed dirty for over an year? How impolite of them.” Ianto said softly, also feeling the effects of the warm water.

“Hm, no.” Jack stirred into Ianto’s embrace for a more comfortable position, “They cleaned me with wet cloth, but only when…” Jack hesitated before continuing, as if downing only at that exact moment what he was sharing, “only when the dried blood became too thick over my skin.” he shivered and retracted into himself, not wanting to look at Ianto’s expression.

He, in turn, hugged Jack closer to him, when images of what Jack would’ve had looked like popped into his head uninvited. He closed his eyes to make them go away, but it only helped to make them stronger.

“Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry this happened to you.” his eyes teared up with anger and a whole box of other mixed feelings.

“It’s over now, Yan, that’s all in the past.” Jack tried to sound reassuring, but his voice cracked miserably.

“Jack, I need to tell you something.” Ianto took a deep breath, he didn’t really want to share this, ever, specially with Jack, but he deserved to know. “Maybe it’s not the right moment, but I feel that if I don’t tell it now, it will look like I’m hiding it, and that isn’t what I’m doing.” he paused for air and continued before Jack could say something. They say you need to extract the band-aid quick so it comes out less painfully, right? “I said before I have two fathers, one of them is the Doctor, which you know, and the other one is the Master.

“And I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t know he would be here on Earth, we have some problems in dealing with him. He shouldn’t have come here and he shouldn't have done the things he did to you, and I feel so guilty. Jack, oh god, I’m so sorry.” he took a shaky breath and felt tears soaking his cheeks, “I understand if you want to leave now. I really do. I understand. I’m sorry, Jack.”

But Jack didn’t move. On the contrary, he leaned closer into Ianto, letting a shaky breath himself. Ianto looked at his face and noticed that although his eyes were closed, tears stained his face.

“Ianto, I knew that.” he admitted in a small voice. He grabbed both of Ianto’s arms and held them closer to his chest. Stunned, mind blank, the only thing he could do was to stare into Jack’s now open eyes and hope an explanation would come soon. As if reading his thoughts, Jack continued, “It was clear to me the nature of the Doctor’s and the Master’s relationship when we were over the Valiant. Not that I asked about it, didn’t actually found the time to.” he let out a light scoff, “But yesterday I heard you talking with the Doctor -sorry I didn’t mean to pry, I didn’t even know it was the Doctor until you said so later-, and I just connected all the dots…”

“Oh god, Jack” his bile threatened to spew.

“But Yan, I want you to know this.” he moved around in the water until he was face to face with Ianto, “I don’t, and I never will, blame you for your father’s actions.”

Ianto’s face contracted pitifully before he gave up into more tears.

“I’m sorry.” he repeated, “I’m not the one supposed to be crying.” he rested his head on Jack’s shoulder and felt his arms embracing him.

“Shhh, it’s ok, Ianto.” Jack said into his ears soothingly, crying quietly on his own.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Oh, god, Jack, I’ve missed you.” suddenly all the feelings he’s been holding back broke out of his chest, spilling out. “I thought you would never come back.”

“I’m never leaving you again, Ianto, I love you.” he confessed. Ianto’s sobbing diminished almost instantly, giving space for the somewhat confused butterflies that took its place. “Had too much time to think over this past year, you know, and I got to the conclusion that life isn’t much if you aren’t with me.”

“You never thought life was worthwhile.”

“Well, maybe you teached me how to see it differently.”

Ianto blushed, tears ceasing completely now, only now downing what Jack truly said. Jack loved him. He loved him. Their fling wasn’t actually just a fling, it was a relationship. Jack loved him even though he was a Time Lord, and his father a madman. Ianto let out a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. He moved forward and connected his lips with Jack’s awaiting ones. Their kiss was slow, yet healing. He could taste his and Jack’s tears that had mixed together between their mouths, but all was ok. Jack forgave him, Jack loves him. And he him.

“I love you too, Jack.” he said, once the kiss was broken.

“Hmm, I know,” Jack grinned, looking smug, “what’s not to love, right?” Ianto rolled his eyes and smiled.

“You’re right, you are just too bloody lovable.” Ianto agreed, “What can I do?”

The rest of their bath was the total of lots of kissing and effective washing up. Eventually, they shared some stories from their until-recently hidden pasts, and Ianto found out how Jack became immortal, and of course it had to involve his father. Though sharing their past was good, talking about it made them forget about the pain they were just now, and help them heal faster from it.

At some point, Ianto had the brilliant idea to share that, yes, he does have a TARDIS, and it’s in plain sight over his room, but no one notices it.

“It’s the chameleon circuit, isn’t it?” Jack asked, drying himself on a clean towel.

“That’s right,” how not fun was to date someone who’s already traveled with his father, all the good science-y stuff has been already told. “but I bet you can’t find it.” he challenge, and it picked Jack’s interest just as fast as he thought it would, if not faster.

“What are we betting on?” he threw his towel on the basket and strode in swift paces the small space between them in Ianto’s room.

“Hmm, do you have something in mind?” Ianto smiled innocently while putting on his trousers.

“You bet I have.” Jack stepped over him and slapped his ass on his way to the wardrobe for a clean set of pants.

“Are you going to share it with me?”

“Nope.” he grinned. “Guess you will find out later.”

“But that’s not how a bet works, Jack.” he buttoned his shirt, troubled by Jack’s reasoning.

“It is for now on.”

“Who said that.”

“I did.”

“You are wrong, then.”

“I’m always right, I know everything.”

“Except how bets work.”

“Ianto!”

He bursted into laughter when Jack threw a sock at him and missed it miserably. Soon enough, Jack joined him in the laughing fit, forgetting the clothes all along.

“But you won’t have time to search for my TARDIS right now, though.” Ianto said, once they sobered up. He glanced at his watch and noted they were already a little late, but that didn’t bothered him too much, none of them actually got there on time (except for him, of course, but today was an exception). “We need to get going.”

“Why don’t we go with the TARDIS?” Jack suggested, putting on his overall.

“Ha ha, if that happened, the bet would be over.” he said, crossing his arms, carefully not to tousle his jacket too much.

“Ok, I see your point. Just let me search for a little.”

“No.”

“Just give me a hint and I will be fast, I promise.” he went around the room, searching for a plausible place to hide a TARDIS.

“That’s cheating, Jack.”

“C’mon, Yan.”

“Jack, we are gonna be late.”

Jack let out a distressed sound but stopped searching. “Ok, let’s go.” he grabbed Ianto’s hand and left the bedroom. “But later I’m gonna find it.”

“I can time it, if you want.” he grinned.

“Yes, please.”


End file.
